Tag: Two Pounds

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Weight Loss Exercise

What Calories Really Are and How Understanding Them Will Help You Lose Weight


If you’ve been on a diet before, then you’ve probably heard people talk about calories. So what are calories? Why are they so important in weight loss? Without knowing these crucial terms, it’s hard to understand the science behind weight loss.

So What Are Calories?

When defined in nutrition, calories are a measure of the energy in food. The more calories a particular food has, the more energy it contains. Energy is good, right? In the right amounts, it is. Unfortunately, many of us eat too many calories on a daily basis, and that’s what makes us overweight in the first place. Excess calories in the body turn into fat, and that’s why you should only eat as much as your body needs.

How Calories Fit Into Weight Loss

So, what role do calories play in weight loss? It’s simple. When you take in or consume fewer calories than your body needs, you lose weight. When you eat too many calories compared to what your body needs, then you gain weight. Your body needs calories to expend as it carries out its basic functions (circulation, excretion, digestion, and so on) as well as to allow you to carry out other activities throughout your day. This is also where exercise fits in; since exercising helps your body burn more calories, it helps you lose weight as well.

In simple words, to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit so that your body burns fat to make up for the missing calories. This means you either need to eat less, exercise more, or do a combination of the two (the third option works best).

As a general rule, a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day usually helps you lose one pound of weight in a week. If the calorie deficit is 1000 calories, you lose two pounds. Medical professionals recommend maintaining weight loss in the healthy zone, which is around one to two pounds a week, and not more. However, if you are very obese, you may find yourself losing much more weight in the initial few weeks after you lower your calorie count.

Hopefully this post has helped you understand the link between calories and weight loss better. In a nutshell, maintain a caloric deficit, and you will lose weight. How do you maintain this deficit? It’s easy; make healthier low-calorie food choices, cut out unnecessary empty calories from sugary items and alcohol, start being more active throughout the day, and maintain a positive attitude and strong willpower. It won’t be easy, but it’ll be worth it!


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Weight Loss Exercise

How To Create Weight Loss Goals You Can Really Stick To


How many of us have created a weight loss or fitness goal that we gave up on just a few weeks, or even days, later? Most of us create weight loss goals that are not realistic, and give up when we don’t see the results we want.

Here are some things you should know when you are trying to lose weight:

First of all, it’s important to know healthy weight loss means losing up to two pounds a week, give or take. This is likely the amount that your body will be losing on a weekly basis.

There are diets that may promise you a loss of ten pounds a week or something along those lines, but those are diets that will mostly rid you of water weight, and sometimes muscle. Why muscle? When your calorie count is too low, your body will feed on muscle first before it will feed on fat. So, don’t ever go on a very low-calorie diet unless supervised by a doctor.

There are many ways you can lose weight, but the best would probably be by combining a low-calorie diet with exercise. This way, you don’t have to eat too little, and at the same time you will be getting fitter.

How To Set Healthy Goals

Setting healthy goals is simple. Before you start, think about your lifestyle now. What is it that you can cut out that will reduce your calorie count? Are there foods that you are not yet willing to stop eating? Also, can you incorporate exercise into your daily routine? How much are you willing to reduce when it comes to your calorie count? These are some of the things you should consider.

If you are taking things slow, which you should, then you should aim for a loss of about one pound a week. If you are working out heavily though, you can aim higher, for about two to four pounds a week. If you see a bigger loss than that on the scale, then that’s a bonus!

Setting realistic weight loss goals is important so that you don’t end up disappointed and give up altogether. Indeed, weight loss is a slow process, but in the end, it’s definitely worth the effort. So eat healthy, exercise regularly, and change your lifestyle to a healthier one, so that the weight slips off, and stays off, in the long run. Start your journey, keep at it, and don’t give up!


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General Weight Loss Tips

Southern Goulash

Today’s lunch reminds me of my mom and home.  I used Bobby’s Goulash as a base recipe because it’s the closest to my mom’s goulash.  My version only had one pound of ground beef, I used diced tomatoes and an open jar of spaghetti sauce, I replaced two pounds meat with 3 cups of diced cremini mushrooms, and I used worcestershire sauce instead of soy sauce.  Aside from the mushrooms, which remind her of snails, I think she’d approve!

I ate this meal almost three hours ago and I’m still sufficiently stuffed. It looks like dinner won’t be for a few more hours.

Time to get my Insanity on!

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